Vegetable Keto Lasagna
This vegetable keto lasagna is a beautiful marriage between keto and vegetarian. Now, that being said, it is not technically “dairy-free,” but you could use vegan substitutes for the dairy. If you do this, remember that the carb count may change! Vegan cheese actually may have more carbs than regular. In the end, you still come out a lot less in net carbs because you are using noodles not laden with wheat or other carbs. I recommend purchasing the following noodles found here. They are made from hearts of palm and taste fabulous. The sauce is home-made and modeled after how my late mother used to make it. You can buy sauce and use that instead, but I feel like home-made tastes much better.
I must say that because of my Italian heritage, I have always had an appreciation for any pasta. Ever since I have switched to a keto-based type of diet, it has inspired me to create recipes that are very similar to an original Italian dish. I find that it is essential to create a keto recipe in which your whole family will appreciate it. There is something about seeing that satisfaction on their faces. Right? You want to feel like they do not miss the original recipe.
In the past, when I made this same recipe with gluten-free noodles, my family loved it. Since I knew they loved lasagna, I was determined to see how they would react to the vegetable keto lasagna. The result was a success, and they all loved it! They even asked for seconds or even thirds! I was thrilled, so I decided to keep this delicious dish in my recipe box forever. Now that I know this recipe was golden, I would love to share it with you.
Vegetable Keto Lasagna
Wonderful vegetable keto lasagna with much love placed into it!
Ingredients for Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 15 oz can of tomato sauce (or 2 8 oz cans)
- 6 oz can of tomato paste
- 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 ¼ tsp salt (taste to verify)
- ½ cup green peppers
- ½ cup red peppers
- 3 fl. oz red table wine
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp red pepper
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
Ingredients for Vegetables
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cups baby bella mushrooms
- 1 tsp salt
Ingredients for cheese mixture
- 15 oz ricotta cheese (2)
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella (453 grams)
- 1 ¼ cups Pecorino Romano or Parmesean cheese, divided (120 grams)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 package Natural Heaven Veggie Pasta Noodles (Can purchase under my recommendations)
Preparing the Sauce
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In a large pot over medium heat, cook the onion and both peppers in the olive oil until they are softened, about 6-9 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
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Add all the seasonings, which include garlic and onion powder, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, and salt. Cook the peppers, onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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After these spices are placed in and veggies cooked down, add the red wine and sauté for a minute. Proceed then to add the cans of tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and 2 cups of water. You may add more salt to your taste and also a small amount of red pepper flakes (amount depends on how much spice). I would recommend that the sauce cooks for at least an hour or two (you could even do longer if you want). My family is of Italian heritage, and we used to let the sauce cook all day! Makes it taste superb! If you don't do it this way, then don't sweat it! It will still taste great after cooking down for an hour or two.
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About 30 minutes before the sauce is finished, prepare the vegetables, cheese mixture, and cook noodles(will go over directions for this below).
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The noodles should be cooked according to the package directions since this may vary depending on which keto type of noodle you use.
Prepare vegetables and cheese mixture
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Cut up the zucchini and mushrooms into small pieces. You can shred your own carrots or buy them already prepared this way at the store. Combine all of them and cook them over a large skillet with medium heat until they are all slightly tender.
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Season with about 1 tsp of salt and a little bit of pepper.
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In a medium mixing bowl, mix the two containers of 15 oz ricotta, 3 cups (340 grams) shredded mozzarella, 1 cup of the Pecorino Romano( or Parmesean cheese), salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
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Mix the remaining 1 cup (113 grams) mozzarella and 1/4 cup (24 grams) Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan cheese) in a small bowl. Then set this aside for the lasagna toppings—Preheat the oven to 350°F (175° C).
Assemble Lasagna
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Start by spreading slightly more than 1 cup of tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9″x13″ x 3″ baking dish. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, overlapping them just by a little bit.
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Add another 1 cup sauce, then 1/3 of the vegetables, followed by 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Add another layer of lasagna noodles and gently press down to compact the first layer. Repeat two more layers, gently pressing down each segment, and top off with the remaining sauce and reserved cheese.
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Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the edges are bubbling and the cheese has browned. (You may not need to bake it as long if you are at a higher elevation. I’ve experienced this firsthand since I live at 3000 feet in the mountains). If you don’t want the cheese thoroughly browned, cover the lasagna before baking and remove the foil for the last 10 minutes.
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Let the lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil on the top!
Is keto difficult for you?
Listen, as a mom with three children; I do understand that sometimes you need shortcuts in life. I have had countless times where moms and dads will ask me the following question, ” How can I do keto if I don’t have time to cook?” or ” How can I do keto if I am on the road a lot?”. Even if these questions do not apply to you, sometimes you may find it difficult to know where to begin or would like coupons to help save on keto-types of food. Does any of this sound familiar? If so, do not fear there are tools to help! One of them is The Keto Box, which is a great program that is here to save you time and money. I like them because they will send 10+ keto goodies every month, they give you a 28-day meal plan, a 20-minute free keto coaching session after your second shipment, and awesome coupons. You can check it out here!
Start your journey towards wellness today
In conclusion, I am here to help you start a journey towards feeling better! Please go to my Start Here page and learn the six steps towards achieving wellness. If you are interested in learning more about keto-type foods, then click here to learn about the keto pantry of a Holistic Keto Goddess. The foods I mention are superb for your mitochondria and will not only help you lose weight but give you energy.
Namaste!
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